St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-04
Over Sixteen Thousand Wielders of the
Hammer and Saw to Cease Work in
Chicago To-Day.
They Decide to Renew Their Demand for
the Right-Hour Day and an In
crease of Wages.
An Enormous Meeting Yesterday At
tended by More Than Six Thou
sand Builders.
The United Labor Party Claims to
Have 12, 200 Pledged Votes in
Cincinnati.

pl0yed Dy the various contractors and shop
owners throughout the city and suburbs
will cease work tomorrow morning and
building operations in this county will be
indefinitely. The leaders Of the
who, after long struggle last
summer, failed to carry out their demands
for eight hours and an increase of wages,
decided then to renew the contest, and
think that now, when building enterprises
are reyiving and carpenters are wanted, the
time has arrived to make the employers
yield. The carpenters are well organized.
Scarcely 800 of their trade in the county
are outside their ranks. They have three
distinct bodies. The Germans and the
greater part of the American and Irish car
penters form the several branches Of the
Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners Of
America. The French Canadians and some
hundreds of Irish belong to the Knights of
Labor.
THE ENGLISH CARPENTERS
compose what is known as the Amalga-
mated Carpenters association. All these
organizations are united in central body,
called the United Carpenters council. The
council is composed of delegates from each
union, has permanent secretary and con-
trolls all the affairs of the carpenters in Chi
cagO and suburbs, Three months ago the
council gave notice to employers that at the
beginning of April the men would demand
35 cents an hour. eight hours to constitute
days work. Wages have been averaging
25 cents. and the hours have varied be-
tween eight and ten. A conference 10 ar
from the employers, but the master car
penters have, to all appearances, studously
ignored the whole movement. Contrary to
first reports. only few of the contractors.
when waited upon by a committee April 1,
acceded to the demands
THE GREAT MAJORITY
merely said they would abide by the action
of the Master Carpenters association. In
many instances, acting under instructions,
the men at once struck. The bulk of them,
however, remained at work awaiting further
orders from their council, which in turn
was awaiting the action of the Bosses as
sOciation. From the bosses nothing was
heard. To-day mass meeting of the car
penters was held in Battery D. armorv to
discuss the advisability OF a general strike.
Over 5000 men were present. William
Kliver, president of the Chicago Trades
assembly, presided. 1t was secret meet
ing, every man of the 6, 900 having to pre-
sent his carpenters trade card in order to
gain admittance. President Kliver made a
long speech reviewing the situation. He
claimed that the carpenters were the most
abused men in the building trades. They
were paid the lowest wages. While their
work was as hard and indispensable as that
OF the brickiayers and ,masons, who earned
almost twice as much. A year ago the car
penterS' strike was
A FAILURE
simply because their organization was weak
numerically and totally lacked funds. Now
they wefe strong, and should right their
wrongs. After a similar speech in German,
resolution that all work cease tomorrow
unless the demands were granted was read.
Then arose W. 81. Riley, member of
knights of Labor District Assembly "a, of
which Robert Nelson, the United Labor
candidate, is master workman. Riley, in
a rafting speech for the resolution, boldly
told the 5000 listening men that victory
at the polls for the labor ticket Tuesday
meant also victory for the carpenters,
and urged them ito do their duty" He was
enthusiastically applauded. Editor Albert
Curtin, August Spies successor as editor OF
the Arbeiter Zeitung, was the next speaker.
The giSt of Curlin's speech was that the
| carpenters were fools if they did not strike
when they had such chance. His Ger
man hearers, addressing them in their Ian
guage, should do everything in their power
to defeat Roche, the servant of the capital
| lists and the tool of
THE TEMPERANCE CRANKs.
| The English speaking portion of the au
dience began to grow restive while Curlir
was speaking in German, and cut him shor
with jeers and cat-calls, though the Ger
mans applauded vigorously. At this
moment Paul Grotkau, the Milwau
kee socialist, appeared at the entrance
to the hall and applied for admittance
He showed an invitation from the German
union to address the meeting. When hi:
presence was made known to the meeting 6
storm of objections arose, the English
speaking element emphatically protesting
against any words from him. The Ger
mans seemed outraged, but decided to avoit
trouble, and Grotkau smilingly acQuiesced
They were soothed with speech from
Secretary Brennock and French Cana
dian named Beaudry. The motion to strike
was then put and carried unanimously
| With three cheers for Nelson and the eight
hour movement the meeting adjourned
| The men understand that none of them ar,
to resume work until all of the employs
give in or the strike as whole is declared
a failure.
| pr FIFTY RaDI.V MlXEn